Pelvic Health: Nothing to Sneeze At
There are some things we as a society avoid talking about. I’m willing to bet the top of that list involves things that happen in the bathroom and bedroom. This blog is going to go there, so either move on to something safer or be brave and keep reading.
Everyone is born with a pelvic floor, whether they have a penis or vagina. The pelvic floor is comprised of muscles and ligaments that help support our organs like the bladder, bowels and uterus. Those same muscles help control bowel and bladder functions and enhance sexual pleasure. For both males and females, balance is the key to maintaining a healthy pelvic floor. If there is too much weakness or tightness, issues can arise. You may be thinking pelvic floor issues don’t affect you but you may find they do.
Assuming they drink 6 – 8 eight ounces glasses of liquid a day, the average person with a healthy bladder should visit the bathroom 5 – 8 times a day, on average every 3 – 4 hours and 0 – 1 time per night and no more. Every time a person voids, they should be able to count to 8 “mississippis.” A healthy pelvic floor should not leak urine, gas or feces, even with strenuous exercise, coughing, laughing or sneezing. It should not be difficult to empty your bladder or bowels and you should not have to plan your day according to bathroom access. If you are experiencing difficulty with elimination, more frequency during the day or night or leakage of any sort, strengthening your pelvic floor could help you.
Now let’s talk about intimacy. Research shows that couples with the highest marital satisfaction report having a strong friendship and good sex life. Sexual expression is (or at least should be) an activity of daily living. Just like our bodies, our sex lives change as we age. For some, the beginning of their sexual adventure can be painful or difficult, and PT can help with that. A young lady may have difficulty with penetration or reaching climax, whereas a young man may struggle with controlling climax. For others, issues arise later due to childbirth or medical conditions such as menopause, cancer (cervical, ovarian, and prostate) and surgery to the lower abdominal area. Everyone deserves to have a pain free, satisfying sex life and PT can help make that happen.
Even if you are not sexually active or that is not a personal focus, pelvic pain can still be a life changing issue for males and females. An issue as simple as pain with an annual gynecological exam can be treated in Pelvic Health PT. An issue as complicated as Interstitial Cystitis, prolapse or pain after cancer treatment to the pelvic area can drastically improved by PT to the pelvic floor area.
Please don’t be afraid to speak out to your health care professionals about whether you may benefit from Pelvic Floor PT. Once you start talking, you will most likely find out you are not alone! In almost all cases, if you have an issue in that area, we can help improve the issue and therefore your quality of life.
Be brave and reach out for your free consultation.
Perfectly yours,
Dr. Mo
